Adalimumab 'inhibits joint damage in RA patients for 5 years'

Adalimumab (brand name Humira) in combination with methotrexate inhibits progression of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for up to five years, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands studied 799 patients with moderate to severe early RA over two years.

Participants were randomly divided into three groups and were treated with Humira alone, methotrexate alone and a combination of Humira and methotrexate.

In an open-label extension study that lasted three years, patients were given 40mg of Humira every other week.

At the end of five years, results, which were presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual conference, showed that there was no progression of joint damage in the combination group.

"Early and aggressive treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis can help prevent the progression of joint damage caused by this disease," said Dr Desiree van der Heijde, the lead author of the study.

"These data suggest that initial combined therapy with Humira plus methotrexate for two years is better than either monotherapy alone in inhibiting radiographic progression for up to five years."

A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc), whose scientists pioneered the use of anti-TNF therapy, welcomed the research as increasing evidence of the sustained benefit of adalimumab.

"Clinical trials have already proved adalimumab and the other anti-TNF drugs to be highly effective for severe RA, now with projects such as the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register at the arc Epidemiology unit, we can monitor their long-term safety profile and look at the optimum times to start the treatment - preferably before any serious joint damage occurs," she commented.

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